Paul Attaway was born and raised in the Atlanta, Georgia area. Paul and his wife, Lyn, moved to Phoenix, Arizona in 1988 where Paul embarked on a thirty-year business career before retiring so he could write fiction.
Blood in the Low Country is Paul’s debut novel. Writing this book, along with a move to Charleston, is a coming home of sorts, a return to the South. The history and culture of America’s South is rich, complicated, at times comical, sad, tragic, uplifting, and inspiring. Paul hopes that his novels capture even a small bit of this tapestry.
FF: What inspired the story in your book?
There was not one single event or person that inspired the book. Rather, the book was inspired by a lifetime of experiences. I grew up in the South and now live in Charleston so my experiences growing up as a child of the South inspired certain aspects of the book. I am a son and a father and now a grandfather. My experiences with my own father and with the joys and challenges of being a father inspired certain aspects of the book. I am a follower of Christ who has struggled to let go of the need to control (aka, the fear of letting go) so that I can learn to truly trust the Lord. All these experiences, and others, inspired certain elements of the story.
FF: What can you tell us about the main characters in your book?
They are a product of my imagination. The character that bares the closest resemblance to anyone I have ever known is Monty Atkins, the protagonist in the story. A lot of my own father went into this character. Now, people then ask me if Rose, Monty’s wife, bares any resemblance to my own mother. The answer is ‘No’. I wanted to write a story about a father who is a hero, not by running through a wall of bullets to save western civilization, but by simply doing what a dad should do. Every story needs a bad guy and the character of Rose in the story is very damaged and needs healing. Monty is there to do that.
FF: Which character surprised you the most?
Annabelle Babcock. I could tell you more, but I’ll just leave it at thought.
FF: Why do you think storytelling is such a powerful way to share truth?
Because of its’ power to speak to us at so many different times in our life and to do so from so many perspectives. There’s a reason why Jesus spoke to us through parables. I have heard it said that Charles Dickens once commented that the parable of the Prodigal Son is the greatest short story ever. I know that I have read that parable countless times and still every now and then the Lord will reveal something new to me. As we grow and learn and have new experiences in our life, we have new information and thus new perspectives. Sometimes the experiences of the father speak to me, other times it may be one of the two sons or even the guests at the party.
FF: What can you tell us about your next book?
I’m working on two books right now. I am writing a sequel to Blood in the Low Country which will hopefully be a standalone story as well. I also have an idea for an unsolved crime in Charleston from the 1780s that is finally solved today. I’ve researched this second story quite a bit and written twenty or so pages, but it is still on the back burner. I am hoping that the sequel to Blood in the Low Country will be available next March or April.
FF: How do you get into the right frame of mind to write for your genre/audience?
I remove distractions and ask myself the following question: What would the characters in the story do if such-and-such happened to them? I always want to move the story forward in terms of plot development and/or the character arch. The story must move forward and hopefully keep pulling the reader in. To delve into the characters psyche, I must remove all distractions.
FF: What do you want readers to take away after reading your book?
First and foremost, I hope they find that reading the book provides an escape from their day, a chance to step away and enjoy a story. Secondly, I hope they enjoy both the story and how it is told. Finally, I hope that when someone finishes the book, they will have a deeper meaning of what life can be like when lived free of fear and more capable or trusting the Lord with our life.
FF: What are the biggest challenges for you as an author writing in Southern fiction?
Understanding what Southern fiction is! Over the last eighty years, as the South has changed, so has the genre. You could simply define ‘Southern fiction’ as stories set in the South and/or written by Southerners about life in the South. I like to think of Southern fiction as stories about life that take place in the South and therefore will have a particular and sometimes peculiar quality. Whatever Southern fiction is, it exists, and we know this, in part, because no one has ever heard of Northern fiction.
FF: What authors or books have inspired you as an author?
The first book I ever loved was A Separate Peace by John Knowles. Over the last few years, I have read other books and short stories he wrote. There is no single author that has inspired what I write but there are several that inspire me to push towards a goal I have set for myself which is to tell compelling stories in a compelling way, and they are James Lee Burke, Ian McEwan, Harlan Coben and Daniel Silva.
FF: How has your faith or world view impacted the way you tell stories?
As I stated earlier, I hope that reading a book I have written will provide someone with an enjoyable break from their day. However, I’m not after total escapism. I am a follower of Christ and I believe He is who He says He is. But just because I believe this does not mean life will be a bed of roses. Far from it. Life happens. I do believe though that Jesus will be with us every step of the way and that through our time here on earth, He will perfect us. Therefore, I strive to craft characters that are flawed, like we all are, and struggling with what it means to be in this world but not of this world. But the struggles are worth it; they are a price worth paying.
Blood in the Low Country
Paul Attaway
Linksland Publishing
Genres: Historical, Southern Fiction, Suspense/Drama
Release Date: September 2, 2021
ISBN-10: 1735401625
ISBN-13: 978-1735401621
Book Summary:
Step back in time a bit. The year is 1973, and by all appearances, Monty Atkins has a wonderful life. Along with his wife, Rose, the girl of his dreams he met in college, they are raising two boys, Eli and Walker. Humble but competitive, Monty is slowly but steadily building a profitable and well-respected law practice in beautiful Charleston, SC. His hard work, steeped in a deeply engrained Protestant work ethic, is paying dividends in the form of a second home on Kiawah Island and membership in the exclusive Wappoo Country Club.Rose, an aspiring socialite, chairs committees and works tirelessly for her church and the school their boys attend. So, yes, Monty Atkins has a wonderful life, until he doesn’t. In a flash, everything changes when a brutal murder and a shocking betrayal turn their world upside down. Brewing beneath the surface lurks a conspiracy of lies about who they are and what they believe. The wellspring of deception and ensuing dysfunction that threaten to destroy all they have built is Rose’s past, a past she can’t outrun. In the hunt for the killer, Monty draws the ire of one of Charleston’s most prominent businessmen, who sets out to destroy him. Monty now faces a multi-front battle, one to save his family, one to save his business and one to save his life. Step back in time and immerse yourself in a taut, tension-filled thriller where the genteel veneer of life in the South lived by those for whom Sunday Bruch at the Club is as holy as that morning’s church service is stripped away.
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